1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric transaxle unit including a casing incorporating an electric motor for driving an axle.
2. Related Art
Recently, an electric transaxle unit having a casing, which incorporates an electric motor having variable output and supports an axle driven by the electric motor, is used for various vehicles or devices. In a typical electric transaxle unit, a motor shaft, serving as an output shaft of the electric motor, is disposed in the casing so as not to be coaxial to the axle, a deceleration gear train is disposed in the casing so as to be interposed between the motor shaft and the axle, and a brake is disposed in the casing so as to be adapted to brake any element in a power train ranging between the motor shaft and the axle via the deceleration gear train. A typical vehicle using the electric transaxle unit is a hybrid car. The electric transaxle unit is also adaptable to an electric wheelchair and various working vehicles such as a lawn mower and a skid steering loader.
Standardization is an important factor to economize manufacture of the electric transaxle unit. Especially, in the case that a vehicle is equipped with a pair of left and right electric transaxle units for driving respective left and right wheels, each electric transaxle unit is desired to be able to serve as either the left or right electric transaxle unit. In this regard, each electric transaxle unit is desired to be convenient to attach to either a left or right portion of a frame of a vehicle or the like, or is desired to be convenient to operatively connect to either a left or right link member connected to a brake operation device.
Further, the electric transaxle unit is desired so that its components can be simply assembled, and the assembled components are firmly settled. Further, in consideration that the electric transaxle unit has an indispensable electric wire connected to the electric motor in the casing and extended outward from the casing, the casing is desired to be sealed against the electric wire penetrating a wall of the casing surely and simply during assembling of the electric transaxle unit.